RELATIVE HAZARD INVOLVED IN WEB CRACKS OF VARYING LENGTH DETECTED BY AUDIGAGE

For testing, eight rails having web cracks from 0.25 to 9 inches in length along the centerline of the web were prepared by joining them with a pair of reformed joint bars, to a sound rail end of the same section, making a combined specimen somewhat over six feet in length with a joint at the center. These specimens were placed under the million pound machine with supports 60-inches apart, the joint at the center, and the load applied at the extreme end of the sound rail at the center of the joint. The loading was increased until ultimate failure in the rail end was obvious. Two rails with cracks through the bolt hole were also tested. On the first series of tests, except for one rail which had a nine inch crack, the load had to be carried beyond that which gives a bending moment corresponding to what can be expected in track. In the second set of tests rail loading caused the cracks to lengthen. It is still recommended that rails with cracks over 5 inch in length be removed as is required by Audigage testing procedure.

• Corporate Authors:

  Penn Central Transportation Company

  Transportation Center, 6 Penn Center Plaza
  Philadelphia, PA  United States  19104
• Authors:
  • Code, C J
• Publication Date: 1962-11-5

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 6 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bending; Bending moments; Bending stress; Cracking; Defects; Dynamic loads; Equipment tests; Failure; Fastenings; Railroad rails; Stresses; Technology; Tie bars
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Fissures (Rails); Rail failure; Test equipment; Web defects; Web defects (Rails)
• Subject Areas: Materials; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040295
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Test No. 784 Test Rpt
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM